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The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Sinks

Learn about sink styles, bowl configurations and accessories

HOW TO CHOOSE A KITCHEN SINK

The sink station is one of the most important work areas in the kitchen. Did you know that 60% of time spent in the kitchen is at the sink? That's a lot of time considering the average Canadian spends approximately 6 hours per week in the kitchen! Choosing the right kitchen sink is one of the most important decisions you can make. Your kitchen sink will have a significant impact on your day to day life, and you want your sink to stand the test of time. Food preparation, cooking, washing and cutting are important tasks which can be very efficient – even enjoyable – when you have the right sink.

Sensible space utilisation, ergonomic design and ease of cleaning – taking these important benefits into consideration will help you purchase the best sink for your kitchen.

CABINET SIZE

Are you renovating your entire kitchen and installing new cabinetry? Or are you just updating your countertop and backsplash? Regardless of the project, measuring the size of your existing or new sink cabinet is a great place to start.

WHAT SINK STYLE DO I CHOOSE?

With so many different, unique sink styles to choose from, we're here to help break down the features and benefits of each one.

FARMHOUSE

This popular style functions as a large single bowl sink but makes a much stronger statement than a traditional undermount. Many homeowners love the vintage look and feel of apron front sinks and thanks to BLANCO, a variety of models in more innovative materials like SILGRANIT® and Stainless Steel are now available.

These sinks feature built-in drainboards and provide extended workstation capabilities. Perfect for keeping your work area clean and organized. The built-in drainboards are excellent if you do a lot of hand washing but can also be used as a resting surface for hot pots and pans.

Drop-in sinks are typically easier to install than an undermount sink and depending on the thickness of your countertop it could save an inch or more of clearance in the cabinet below the sink. If you have a laminate countertop, then this is the sink for you.

Undermount sinks

Undermount sinks have a clean, seamless look and work well with granite, marble or engineered stone countertops. These sinks can also be installed with a positive, negative, or zero reveal. This type of installation also gives you a little extra bowl depth.

BOWL CONFIGURATION AND DEPTH

Choose a bowl configuration based on how you use your kitchen and what will best suit the needs of your household.

Single bowl

PROS: Popular for their functionality and generous bowl size. Cookie sheets and long-handled pots and pans can be manoeuvred easily. If you want to maximize the space inside your sink, a large super single is an excellent choice.

CONS: You will need to be able to juggle different tasks if you want to do them at the same time. For example, thawing out meat for dinner while washing dishes could be tricky!

Equal Double Bowl

PROS: Two people can use a double bowl sink at the same time. Each sink bowl can be utilized for different tasks. Washing and rinsing dishes is very comfortable with this setup.

CONS: Larger items like cookie sheets and long-handled pots and pans cannot fit in most equal double bowls but a LOW DIVIDE sink is the perfect solution! Scroll down to read about this unique bowl configuration.

Low Divide Bowl

PROS: Combines the functionality of a large single bowl with the ability to separate tasks with the lower centre divide. These sinks come in equal double or offset configurations. The low divide allows large items to fit inside the sink, while one basin can be filled with water for washing or soaking.

CONS: You can only partially fill one of the bowls. If your cooking style requires deep bowls of water, this may not be the sink for you.

Offset Double Bowl

PROS: Creates a slightly larger work area inside the larger bowl compared to an equal double bowl setup. Still provides a full divide between bowls allowing tasks to be kept separate. The smaller bowl is perfect for jobs that don't demand a lot of space; for example, thawing frozen foods or drying dishes in a small dish rack.

CONS: The smaller bowl may not be used as much if you're used to equal bowl sizes.

BOWL DEPTH

Kitchen sinks typically range between 7" – 10" in depth. Deeper sinks allow more room for items like tall pots and vases, however, deeper sinks can also be hard on your back and difficult for little ones to reach into! Choose the depth of your sink based on the needs of you and your family.

SINK MATERIAL

In choosing a material you should keep in mind that your kitchen sink is a heavy-duty fixture that should be able to withstand the rigors of daily use for a very long time. Different materials will wear in different ways. BLANCO uses only premium materials and offers a lifetime limited warranty on every sink, regardless of the material. To learn more about the key benefits of SILGRANIT® (granite composite), Stainless Steel and Fireclay (Ceramic), continue to MATERIAL OPTIONS .

DON'T FORGET ABOUT SINK ACCESSORIES!

Sink Accessories allow you to create your own personalized kitchen workstation. Kitchen sinks are now being designed with custom accessories in mind. These custom fitted accessories can utilize your sink space in new and creative ways. Our sink bowls and accessories are designed to enhance functionality in the kitchen.

Now that you know the size, bowl configuration and style you would like for your new kitchen sink, use our SINK FINDER to help narrow down the selection for you. BLANCO has hundreds of sinks to choose from, and our sink finder can recommend specific sink models to match your exact search criteria.